Religions (Page 47)

short readsNov 25, 2013

No clear ‘Pope Francis effect’ among U.S. Catholics

The pope’s popularity hasn’t yet produced a Catholic resurgence in the U.S. in terms of the share of Americans who identify as Catholic, or the share of those who report attending Mass weekly.
reportNov 21, 2013

Religious Groups’ Views on End-of-Life Issues

Religious leaders, scholars and ethicists from 16 major American religious groups explain how their faith traditions’ teachings address physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia and other end-of-life questions.
short readsNov 14, 2013

Muslim holiday of Ashura brings into focus Shia-Sunni differences

Each year, millions of Shia pilgrims visit the shrine of one of their most revered figures – Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. While Ashura is sacred for all Muslims, it is especially important to Shias, illustrating some of the differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
short readsNov 12, 2013

What happens when Jews intermarry?

Does intermarriage lead to assimilation and weaken the Jewish community? Or does it strengthen and diversify the Jewish community?
reportNov 7, 2013

Many Sunnis and Shias Worry About Religious Conflict

This week Sunni and Shia Muslims ushered in the Islamic New Year and the beginning of the holy month of Muharram. For Shias, the month also is a time to mourn the events that sparked the centuries-old schism between Shia and Sunni Muslims. An analysis of polls conducted in 2011-2012 finds high levels of concern about sectarian tensions in several countries where Sunnis and Shias live side by side.
short readsNov 1, 2013

Vatican will seek Catholics’ input on wide range of family issues

The Vatican plans to ask a range of questions on topics related to the family, including divorce, artificial contraception and same-sex marriage.
short readsOct 24, 2013

Three-quarters of U.S. Catholics say it’s important for Pope Francis to tackle Vatican reform

Most Catholics say reforming the Vatican is an important priority for Pope Francis.
short readsOct 17, 2013

Eight facts about Orthodox Jews from the Pew Research survey

The Pew Research Center survey on U.S. Jews included more than 500 Orthodox Jewish respondents. Here are eight facts about the Orthodox.
short readsOct 11, 2013

5 facts about the hajj

The annual Muslim hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca is underway, and more than a million pilgrims already have entered Saudi Arabia from abroad. These are five important facts about the hajj.
short readsOct 10, 2013

A fifth of Mormons express doubts about some church teachings

A top Mormon leader recently made headlines this week when he acknowledged that past actions by church leaders may have contributed to doubts about church teachings. About one-in-five (22%) church memberssay they find some of the church’s teachings hard to believe.